Rail union defies party expulsion

Bob Crow is confident of winning

The UK's biggest rail union is about to start legal proceedings to challenge its expulsion from the Labour party.

The Rail, Maritime & Transport (RMT) union told BBC News Online it will issue a High Court writ this week.

General Secretary Bob Crow said the union had a strong case because it had been denied a hearing, a list of charges and the right of appeal.

In February, Labour threw out the union because of its refusal to stop giving money to other political parties.

The dispute began last year when the RMT, unhappy with some of Labour's policies, allowed five of its branches in Scotland to affiliate to the Scottish Socialist Party.

Our legal team says we have a good chance of succeeding Bob Crow RMT

It was given an ultimatum but voted to maintain its position. The expulsion ended a bond of more than 100 years.

On Sunday, Mr Crow told BBC News Online: "We will be serving a writ to the High Court, on the basis that we were never given a hearing, which is against natural justice, never given a list of the charges and never had a right to appeal to a higher body.

"And our legal team says we have a good chance of succeeding."

Mr Crow said that, if reinstated to the party, the union would not compromise its stance on affiliation.

The RMT represents more than 70,000 railway workers and was giving the Labour party £12,500 a year when it was expelled.

In its original guise as the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, the RMT helped found what is now the Labour Party.